Poker game

ABSTRACT

In commercial and recreational gaming environments, the inventions provide variations on video poker games that encourage longer play and higher wagers while decreasing the adverse selection of gaming devices with preferred odds by experienced players. The inventions describe the use of pot builders to increase the number of betting propositions for a single play and offer a range of payable events and their probabilities. The inventions also describe the use of randomly distributed, randomly occurring multipliers which are applied to the pay tables for the pot builders to increase the number of opportunities for the occurrence of low probability high value payable events.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The inventions described herein relate to software enabled devices andmethods for playing variations of poker and similar card based games incommercial and recreational gaming environments. The inventionsgenerally provide, among other things, alternative means for a gamingvendor to control the return percentage of a given device and tocustomize the gaming experience of each player to encourage longer playand higher wagers.

BACKGROUND OF THE RELATED ART

In various forms, poker has been adapted for play on stand aloneelectronic devices which are then installed in gaming establishments asan alternative to multi-player table games with a live dealer and liveopponents. Video poker machines generally simulate familiar versions ofpoker that can be played individually against an electronic dealer orother opponent. More recently similar opportunities to electronicallyplay poker have become available through the Internet. The play ofelectronic poker games is not necessarily identical to common poker cardgames, but instead retains a general feel and method of play that wouldbe familiar to casual poker players. Existing variations are abundantand include forms of draw poker, stud poker, Pai Gow poker, Omaha,Caribbean, Texas Hold 'Em and many others as are known in the art.

Typically a gaming establishment will deploy a series of identical videopoker machines to satisfy the anticipated demand. For each machine, thegaming establishment may determine a return percentage (sometimes alsoreferred to as the “hold”) that reflects the portion of the amountwagered that would be returned to the gambler as an average over time ifthe gambler played with perfect strategy. It is common for gamingestablishments to use varying return percentages in adjacent gameinstallations as part of a strategy to retain customer interest withoutreducing the overall revenue expected from the full deployment of videopoker machines.

As required by law, each machine must identify the “pay table” or theamount paid out for each different winning combination as a multiple ofthe amount wagered. In the video poker machines of the prior art, thepay table can be examined by a skilled player and readily converted intothe return percentage set by the gaming establishment. The skilledplayer (the customer most likely to play with perfect strategy) can thenpreferentially isolate the video poker machine with the return that mostfavors the player. As a result, the overall expected revenue for the“house” from an installation of video poker machines isdisadvantageously affected. Therefore there is a need in the field fornew electronic poker devices and methods that prevent the readydetermination of the return percentage from the pay table for a givendevice, while still complying with applicable gaming rules andregulations.

The prior art devices have additional shortcomings related to the mannerin which the method of play affects customer interest. Existingelectronic poker based games typically suffer from low win rates (thefrequency of payouts to the customer), particularly for the high valuecombinations like four of a kind, straight flush or royal flush. Inthese games, customers often get behind quickly and face long anddiscouraging odds to recover the lost wagers. The low probability ofhigh payouts tends to reduce the amount of time a player spends at agiven wagering location and results in a lost opportunity for additionalrevenue to the gaming establishment. Therefore there is a need in thefield for methods to increase the win rate and increase the frequency ofhigh value payouts to gaming customers without reducing the returnpercentage set by the gaming establishment.

These and other related needs are addressed by the inventions describedin more detail below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventions described below are implemented in an electronicenvironment that includes logic processors and circuitry such as arefound in computers, hand held devices, kiosks, network terminals,interactive video systems, cell phones, Internet appliances and similarproducts.

Generally, the inventions offer the customer the opportunity to selectpayout conditions for each wager. At the start of each hand, thecustomer can choose a number of “pot builders” (or “pot raisers”) thatpay on the occurrence of events during a hand. In a Texas Hold 'Em game,for example, the player may choose to wager on different pot buildersbased on the cards shown on the deal, the flop, the turn, the river, theopponent's hand or the best five card hand. Each pot builder may have adifferent pay table. The customer must still have the winning hand inorder to receive a payout, but the size of the pot paid to the winningcustomer increases in this example depending on the content of each potbuilder wagered. One pot builder may pay 3 to 1 for a straight occurringon the best five card hand, but a second pot builder may pay 8 to 1 fora three card straight appearing on the flop in the same hand. Each potbuilder requires a separate wager. When multiple pot builders are bet,it becomes substantially more difficult to mathematically combine theseparate pay tables and determine the device's return percentage.

Combining pot builders and pay tables prevents the adverse selection offavorable devices by offering favorable odds on various pot builders foreach device. Preferably the pot builders are organized to require aplayer to place a series of wagers before being able to place a wager onthe pay table with the best return percentage. Thus it is a feature andan advantage of the subject inventions to employ a pot builder basedmethod of play for a poker type game that results in compound pay tablesthat reduce the customer's ability to isolate the most favorable returnpercentage for a particular device.

Employing a pot builder based technique also allows the device operatorgreater flexibility in determining the frequency and the size of thepayouts for a given device. Since multiple bets are played on the samehand, play may conclude with multiple outcomes. The pot building optionsmay be arranged to encourage the player to bet on multiple pot buildersin order to obtain the most favorable odds. In common practice, thedevice may pay out on a winning hand in an amount that is less than thetotal wager for all pot builders. The player may correctly perceive theresult as a win because at least one pot builder proposition has beenmet and a payout has been made by the device. The win also results inrevenue to the gaming establishment as a positive net of all bets madeby the player on the hand. Using this technique, the apparent win ratecan be substantially higher than conventional video poker machines.Also, by choosing various pot builders the player has some control overeither the payout odds or the payout frequency, dictated by eachplayer's personal preferences.

A device of this type may be given additional customer appeal byoffering the possibility of a multiplier randomly applied to the paytable of one or more pot builders during the play of one hand. Throughappropriate software (including firmware or middleware), the houseassigns a probability distribution for the occurrence of a multiplier.The primary function of the multiplier is to change the odds for arandomly selected pay table, preferably after a wager has been made andpreferably for the duration of one hand of play. The multiplier may beany value and typically would be a range of values rising from 1(creating no change in the pay table) to 2 (doubling the pay table for asingle hand) to any upper limit desired by the house. In a normalimplementation, the most probable outcome sets the multiplier at 1 withhigher values occurring with progressively diminishing frequency. Theoperation of randomly occurring multipliers on randomly selected potbuilders creates variations on the return percentage for each handplayed and each pot builder wagered. Thus it becomes impossible for askilled player to determine the return percentage prior to making awager. The multiplier technique also increases the number of possiblehigh value payouts by episodically raising the odds for more commonoutcomes like two pair, three of a kind or a flush. Still, by settingthe entire combination of pot builders and multipliers, the houseretains control over the return percentage of the device as an averageover time.

Although many alternative structural forms are contemplated for thedevices of the inventions described herein, a preferable form houses theelectronic elements in a kiosk type enclosure. The kiosk is generallymobile allowing the system to be placed in a preferred location. Amobile system provides flexibility to the gaming operator, permittingthe deployment of multiple devices in the places most likely to appealto its customers. It is also within the understanding of the inventionfor implementation to be accomplished within a virtual structure aswould normally happen in a virtual casino operated through a networksuch as the Internet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating the control logic for oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary display of an initial betting screen for oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary display of an intermediate screen showing playfollowing the deal of the first four cards for one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary display of a result screen following thecompletion of a hand for one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary display of an intermediate screen for anembodiment of the invention that includes pay table multipliers.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary display of a result screen following thecompletion of a hand for an embodiment of the invention that includespay table multipliers.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary display of a start screen for an embodiment ofthe invention that offers the selection of optional playing conditions.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary embodiment of a housing for an electronic device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Set forth below is a description of what is currently believed to be thepreferred embodiments or best examples of the claimed inventions. Futureand present alternatives and modifications to the preferred embodimentsare contemplated. Any alternatives or modifications which makeinsubstantial changes in function, in purpose, in structure or in resultare intended to be covered by the claims of this patent.

It is recognized that every software programmer adopts his or her ownstyle in authoring software directed to the accomplishment of a definedtask, choosing programming languages and tools that best fit theprogrammer's style in light of the task presented. The inventionsdescribed herein do not depend on the application of any particularprogramming language or programming style. As an aid to understandingone programmer's approach to creating software that accomplishes theobjectives of an embodiment of the invention, a non-limiting example ofsource code written in the Visual Basic programming language isreferenced.

While the invention is understood to be applicable to any variation ofpoker and any number of players, the following example approximates theplay of Texas Hold 'Em in a heads up (two player) situation. In thisembodiment, the player establishes a credit value on the device by anyof the known methods such as inserting currency, inserting tokens,entering an access code, identifying a pre-existing account (forexample, by entering a login and password combination), swiping a debitcard, credit card or any other stored value card. The player is thenpresented with a wagering screen where pot builders 20 can be selectedprior to the opening deal 11.

In one embodiment, the player may choose from five pot builders 20.First, the player may wager on the value of the opponent's best fivecard hand made from the opponent's initial two cards plus the five cardboard. Second, the player may also wager on the next three cardsrevealed during the flop step 14. If the player has chosen both thefirst and second pot builders 20, the player may also wager on the valueof the first four cards revealed during the initial deal 11. A fourthpot builder 20 allows the player to wager on the value of the completefive card face up board (the flop, plus the turn, plus the river).Finally, a fifth pot builder 20 allows the player to wager on the valueof the best five card hand the player can assemble from the player'sinitial two cards plus the five cards on the board. Each pot builder 20may be assigned a different pay table 21. Typically, pay conditionsfollow the rules of poker and pay out in descending order for a royalflush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight,three of a kind, two pair, one pair and high card. In certain potbuilders 20, some poker hands may not be possible or may be moreprobable than in the outcome of standard poker play. In these cases, thepay conditions are adjusted accordingly. Example pay tables 21 for eachof the five pot builders 20 are shown in FIG. 2.

In this embodiment, it is preferred that the pot builders 20 are set tobe serially conditional. A player cannot wager on the second pot builder20 unless a wager has been placed on the first pot builder 20. A playercannot wager on the third pot builder 20 unless a wager has been placedon both the first and second pot builder 20. The rule also applies tothe fourth and fifth pot builders 20 in the same fashion. Preferably thereturn percentage increases with each pot builder 20 in a series, thusrequiring the player to make a maximum bet to obtain the most favorableodds. It is recognized that within the invention other wageringconditions may be applied to the pot builders 20, other pot builders 20may be defined and fewer or more pot builders 20 may be employed.Further, it is recognized that the pay conditions within the inventionmay include deviations from the standard pay conditions such as inprogressive poker games that require a minimum pair value before paying.

FIG. 1 illustrates a logical sequence of events in one embodiment of theinvention. In wagering step 10 of this embodiment, the player choosesthe number of pot builders 20 in play for the current hand and selectsthe number of credits wagered on each pot builder 20. Once the wageringstep 10 is complete, the deal 11 is made and the device displays fourcards face up to the player via a reveal step 12. From the reveal step12, the device determines the value of the four face up cards andcompares the value to the available pot builders 20. If a pay tablecondition is met, the device assigns the pay table value (based on theamount wagered and the stated odds) to the pot in a first pay table step13.

After the pot is set, the player selects two cards from the four face upcards as the player's held cards. The two cards not selected by theplayer are assigned to the player's opponent. After the first four cardsare assigned, a second deal 11 results in the display of an additionalthree cards face up via a flop step 14. From the flop step 14, thedevice determines the value of the three face up cards from the flop andcompares the value to the available pot builders 20. If a pay tablecondition is met, the device adds the pay table value (based on theamount wagered and the stated odds) to the pot in a second pay tablestep 13.

Since this embodiment does not require further player decisions afterthe flop step 14, the device proceeds to complete the five card face upboard common to Texas Hold 'Em in a second reveal step 12. From thesecond reveal step 12, the device determines the value of the five faceup cards and compares the value to the available pot builders 20. If apay table condition is met, the device adds the pay table value (basedon the amount wagered and the stated odds) to the pot in a third paytable step 13.

After updating the pot based on the pay table value for the board, thedevice determines the value of the opponent's hand and compares thevalue to the available pot builders 20. If a pay table condition is met,the device adds the pay table value (based on the amount wagered and thestated odds) to the pot in a fourth pay table step 13.

After updating the pot based on the pay table value for the opponent'shand, the device determines the value of the player's hand and comparesthe value to the available pot builders 20. If a pay table condition ismet, the device adds the pay table value (based on the amount wageredand the stated odds) to the pot in a fifth pay table step 13. Thecompletion of the fifth pay table step fixes the size of the pot that isavailable to be paid out on a winning hand.

After the pot is fixed, a compare step 15 checks the value of theplayer's hand against the value of the opponent's hand to determinewhether to pay the player. If the value for the player's hand is higherthan the value for the opponent's hand, the player is paid the value ofthe pot. If the value for the player's hand is equal to the value forthe opponent's hand, the player is paid one half the value of the pot.If the value for the player's hand is less than the value for theopponent's hand, no payment is made to the player. After the comparestep 15 is completed, the game resets to wagering step 10.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the same generalmethod of play described in the prior embodiment is followed with thesame number of pot builders 20 and the same payout conditions. However,the play is enhanced by the inclusion of a randomly generated multiplierwhich is applied to the pay table 21 for each pot builder 20. Preferablyafter the player makes a wager and selects which of the pot builders 20are live for the hand, the device executes a subroutine for generatingand applying multipliers to the pay tables 21. One example of such asubroutine is shown below: Dim CreditsRemaining As Integer Dim MaxBet AsInteger Dim Pot As Integer Dim Multiplier As Byte Sub Check ForMultiplier( )   Multiplier 100x Count = 1   Multiplier 20x Count = 4  Multiplier 10x Count = 8   Multiplier 5x Count = 16   Multiplier 4xCount = 20   Multiplier 3x Count = 40   Multiplier 2x Count = 289  Multiplier 1x Count = 4622   Shuffle 5000 Multipliers   RandomlyChoose 5 Multipliers   For Each Multiplier > 1x     Update Paytable    Flash Multiplier   End For End Sub

In this embodiment, the multiplier result is displayed only for theactive pot builders 20. However, it is also within the invention for themultipliers to be displayed to the player for every pot builder 20whether it was bet by the player or not. Randomly occurring multiplierson the pay tables 21 for the pot builders 20 increase the number of waysin which a high value payout may be earned by the player, thusencouraging longer play and larger wagers per play. For example, a 10×multiplier on the pot builder 20 for the player's best hand makes thepayout on three of a kind the same as if the player held four of a kindin a game with no multiplier.

As an added advantage to the house, the multipliers substantiallyincrease the difficulty of identifying the return percentage set by thehouse for each device. If the multiplier is not displayed until afterthe player's wager, it becomes impossible to determine the returnpercentage prior to betting. The house may also set the probabilitydistribution for the multipliers differently for each device, furtherreducing the adverse selection of the most favorable device by theexperienced player. Since the size of the multiplier and the probabilitydistribution remains within the control of the house, the returnpercentage remains selectable for each device by methods that are knownin the field of the inventions. Each device also may includeadministrative functions as are known in the field for tracking usageand editing the return percentage and other conditions of play such ashave been described above.

It is recognized that within the invention additional wagering steps andpay outs may be added such as bonus rounds, super bets, wild cards,options to raise or fold and other features as are known in the field ofthe invention. It is further recognized that the display to the playermay be presented in a variety of ways as are known in the fieldincluding multiple screens, multiple windows within a screen,supplemental lights, sirens, sounds and other visceral indicia.

A series of representative screens displayed to the player duringstandard operation for one embodiment of the invention are shown inFIGS. 2-7.

An initial screen displays the general layout of a virtual gaming table(see FIG. 2). The display identifies five pot builders 20, the pay table21 for each pot builder 20 and the amount wagered on each pot builder20. The bottom of the screen includes six player controls 22 for bettingand initiating play. The controls 22 are preferably operated by touchscreen technology. The “Max Bet” button is a quick play option thatallows the player to automatically place the highest permitted wager onall the pot builders 20 and proceed immediately to the deal 11. The“Bet” button allows the player to select a wager from a predeterminedrange of credit intervals (e.g. 10, 20, 30, 40, 50) and applies the betto each selected pot builder 20. The “# of Pot Builders” button ispreferably a toggle control 22. Repeated hits on this button seriallyincrease the active pot builders 20 beginning with “Opponent Hand” andrunning through “Player's Hand” if all pot builders 20 are activated.The “Credits Per Pot Builder” button offers a more granular control forwagers on each pot builder 20 (e.g. 1, 2, 3, . . . 50) than is offeredby the “Bet” button. A speed control button is preferably another togglecontrol 22 that allows players who are more familiar with the game toplay at a faster pace.

The screen also includes three status fields 23 that indicate the valueassigned to each credit, the number of credits available to wager andthe number of credits won in any given hand. Preferably credit value isset by the house for each machine, although it is within the inventionto offer the player a selectable range of choices for credit value.

An intermediate display screen (see FIG. 3) identifies the four cardsfrom the deal to the player and requires player interaction to selectthe player's hand and the opponent's hand. Preferably, the playertouches the cards desired for the player's hand and selection indicia 31(e.g. “Hold”) are displayed indicating the choices made by the player.Preferably the player may unselect and reselect by repeating the touchof a given card until the player is satisfied with his choices. Playresumes after the player's hand has been selected when the playeroperates the “Deal” button.

The intermediate screen also indicates to the player the number of potbuilders 20 selected and the amount wagered on each pot builder 20.Active pot builders 20 are preferably indicated by a change inbackground color or intensity. Also, if a payable event 32 has occurred,the intermediate display highlights the payable condition and indicatesthe size of the pot to the player. In the example of FIG. 3, the firstfour cards included a pair which pays 2 to 1 (see FIG. 2) on a 20 creditbet. Thus 40 credits are added to the pot and displayed to the player.

A result screen displays the flop, the turn and the river to the player(see FIG. 4). Preferably, the display indicates all payable events 32from the hand whether the player wagered on the pot builder 20 or not.However, only the pot builders 20 in play for the hand contribute to thepot total. In this example, the Opponent Hand has a pair which is apayable condition at 1 to 1 on a 20 credit bet. The player also wageredon the pot builder 20 for the First 4 Cards and the pot total has beenupdated to show the combination of payable events 32 from the OpponentHand and from the First 4 Cards. The result screen also indicates to theplayer that payable events 32 occurred for two pot builders 20 notwagered by the player. As in FIG. 3, the payable events 32 arehighlighted.

Also shown on the result screen is a win flag 33 indicating that theplayer holds the winning hand. The status fields 23 for credits won andcredits available are updated to show that the player won 60 credits forthe hand, and the 60 credits have been added to the player's total. Theplayer can immediately repeat the same bet and have a new hand dealt byselecting the deal button. Alternatively, the player can change theamount wagered or the number of pot builders 20 selected by operatingthe other wagering controls 22 before selecting the deal button.

In an embodiment using a pay table multiplier, an intermediate screen(see FIG. 5) also displays the occurrence and magnitude of a multiplierwith a multiplier flag 34 associated with a particular pot builder 20.The intermediate screen also preferably displays an updated pay table 21that applies the multiplier to the standard pay table values. In similarfashion to a non-multiplier embodiment, a results screen (see FIG. 6)displays and highlights the occurrence of a payable event 32 and updatesthe pot value based on the updated pay table 21.

In another embodiment of the invention, a start screen (see FIG. 7) mayprovide the player with the opportunity to determine certain playingconditions such as the value of each credit or whether to play with orwithout multipliers. Preferably in a manner similar to the initialscreen described above (see FIG. 2), selectable player controls 22 aredisplayed to the player to determine the desired playing conditions.

The inventions described above are not dependent on any specificstructural form and may even be virtual structures rather than physicalstructures when operated within a virtual gaming environment. Forillustrative purposes, this section describes one non-limiting structurethat is considered compatible with a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

The structure supporting the invention is preferably a kiosk typestructure. FIG. 8 presents a kiosk 40 comprised of a housing 41 ofsuitable construction materials, a display device 42, an input interface43, a power supply and the essential elements of a computer 45 includingone or more microprocessors and suitable memory elements. If theinvention is deployed in a network environment, each kiosk would alsoinclude a communications link and may alternatively obtain the requiredcomputing resources from a remotely located source such as a clientserver.

The display device 42 may comprise a video screen, a monitor, a liquidcrystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a projection screen, orany other device suitable to provide a display function. The inputinterface 43 may comprise, either alone or in combination, a keyboard,touchpad, touchscreen, mouse, trackball, stylus, light pen, voicerecognition device, puck, tablet or other device suitable to provide aninput function. The power supply may comprise, either alone or incombination, an AC outlet connection, one or more batteries, anuninterruptible power supply (UPS) or other means suitable to providepower to the system. If included, the communications link can includeany of several technologies, including a telephone link, satellite link,radio-frequency link, infra-red link, Internet link, facsimile link,fiber-optic link, coaxial cable link and television link.

The software elements of the invention are preferably stored andexecuted on the computer 45, either within the kiosk 40 or in remotecommunication with it. For efficient maintenance and operation, thekiosk 40 also includes an access interface for the device managerpreferably including a file transfer device such as a CD drive, zipdrive, diskette drive or similar device.

The above description is not intended to limit the meaning of the wordsused in the following claims that define the invention. Rather, it iscontemplated that future modifications in structure, function or resultwill exist that are not substantial changes and that all suchunsubstantial changes in what is claimed are intended to be covered bythe claims.

1. A software implemented method for the play of a poker type game on anelectronic device comprising: a wagering step that requires a player toselect and wager on a plurality of pot builders, each of said potbuilders having a pay table; a multiplying step that selectivelymultiplies the odds of a pay table by a factor greater than or equal to1; and a factor assignment step wherein the most probable value for saidfactor is
 1. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said multiplying stepcomprises the comparison of a randomly selected number from a range ofnumbers to a table of values for said factor.
 3. The method of claim 1wherein said factor increases in value with a decreasing frequency ofoccurrence.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein said factor increases invalue with a decreasing frequency of occurrence.
 5. The method of claim1 wherein the play of said poker type game further comprises: a firstdistribution of two cards per player; following said distribution, adisplay of five community cards; and wherein the winning player isdetermined by identifying the best five card poker hand obtainable fromthe combination of each of said player's cards with said communitycards.